AS WE COULD POSSIBLY BE. WE CONTINUE FOLLOWING THE INVESTIGATION OUT OF RED RIVER TODAY. PROSECUTORS LAYING OUT WHAT THEY SAY HAPPENED BETWEEN RIVAL MOTORCYCLE GANGS, PROMPTING THAT SHOOTING AT THE ANNUAL BIKER RALLY. THE ALLEGED SHOOTER CLAIMING SELF-DEFENSE. RIGHT NOW, JACOB CASTILLO IS THE ONLY ONE CHARGED WITH MURDER. JULIAN BOTTAS IS LOOKING AT THE PROSECUTION’S CASE AND WHAT WAS DONE TO TRY TO PREVENT THE GUNFIRE. THAT’S RIGHT. SO OUR KOAT LEGAL ANALYST, JOHN DE, USED TO PROSECUTE CRIMES IN TAOS COUNTY. HE TELLS ME AN INCIDENT LIKE THIS DOES NOT SURPRISE HIM. YOU KNOW, WE’VE SEEN AROUND THE COUNTRY THESE KIND OF CLASHES. SO IT’S NOT IT’S NOT I GUESS, YOU KNOW, RARE TO SEE SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPEN WHENEVER YOU HAVE A GATHERING LIKE THIS. KOAT LEGAL EXPERT JOHN DAY SAYS HE ATTENDED THE RED RIVER MOTORCYCLE RALLY OFTEN. THEY ALSO SAYS JUST LIKE THE MOTORCYCLES FLOODING THE SMALL TOWN OF RED RIVER, LAW ENFORCEMENT ALSO LURKED WORKING UNDER THE RADAR AND IT WAS ALWAYS FLOODED WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT, WHETHER IT WAS FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT DOING INTELLIGENCE GATHERING, VIDEO, AUDIO. ACCORDING TO AN AFFIDAVIT, JACOB CASTILLO, A MEMBER OF THE WATER DOG MOTORCYCLE CLUB, IS THE MAIN SHOOTER FROM THE MOTORCYCLE RALLY. CASTILLO IS NOW CHARGED WITH FIRST DEGREE MURDER IN THE SHOOTING INVOLVING THREE PEOPLE DYING AND FIVE GETTING INJURED. RED RIVER MAYOR LINDA CALHOUN SAYING THE TOWN FELT PREPARED AHEAD OF THE MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND. WE’VE HAD ISSUES IN THE PAST, OF COURSE. WE’VE NEVER HAD ANYTHING LIKE THIS. I FEEL LIKE WE WERE AS PREPARED AS WE COULD POSSIBLY BE. MULTIPLE AGENCIES HAVE ALWAYS BEEN ASSIGNED FOR EVENTS LIKE THIS. ACCORDING TO DE, IN THE PAST, THERE’S ALWAYS BEEN A LARGE LAW ENFORCEMENT PRESENCE, AND THAT’S IN PART TO DETER ANYTHING LIKE THIS FROM HAPPENING. AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT’S NOT UNUSUAL THAT SOMETHING LIKE THIS WOULD EXPLODE. CASTILLO DID HAVE HIS FIRST COURT APPEARANCE TODAY. A JUDGE RULING THAT HE WILL STAY BEHIND BARS UNTIL HIS DETENTION HEARING. THAT HEARING IS EXPECTED TO TAKE
Red River shooter charged with first-degree murder
Jacob Castillo, a member of the Water Dogs Motorcycle Club, is being charged with first-degree murder for being the main shooter in Red River during rally.
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Updated: 6:13 PM MDT Jun 2, 2023
What felt like a week of chaos took place over a two-hour period when the Red River shooting incident broke out over Memorial Day weekend. “We've had issues in the past, but of course, we've never had anything like this. I feel like we were as prepared as we could possibly be,” Red River Mayor Linda Calhoun said.Now, a criminal complaint identifies Jacob Castillo, a member of the Water Dogs Motorcycle Club, as the main shooter. Prosecutors are charging him with first-degree murder in the altercation at the Annual Red River Motorcycle Rally. Three people died, and five were injured. New Mexico State Police Chief Tim Johnson said, “All eight individuals have been identified as outlaw motorcycle gang members.”In the court document, it says an altercation happened between the Water Dogs and the Bandidos Motorcycle Club. Castillo stated in the report, a group of Bandidos jumped him. and one member pointed a gun at him. “Well, it's clear from the affidavit that when they talked to Castillo and he gave his statement, he is trying to establish that he did not act first,” KOAT Legal Expert John Day said. Castillo claimed self-defense in the court document, but NMSP says the evidence shows otherwise. “The way state police put their case together, they don't see a valid self-defense claim because they say they looked at video, talked to eyewitnesses,” Day said.A decades-old tradition is now ending after the tragic turn of events. If Castillo wants to claim self-defense in this deadly incident, Day says it's up to his defense team now to prove it. “It'll be up to his defense team to present that argument to a jury if and when the case goes to trial,” Day said.Castillo had his first court appearance Friday afternoon. A Judge ruled that he will stay behind bars until his detention hearing, which is expected to take place on June 13.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — What felt like a week of chaos took place over a two-hour period when the Red River shooting incident broke out over Memorial Day weekend.
“We've had issues in the past, but of course, we've never had anything like this. I feel like we were as prepared as we could possibly be,” Red River Mayor Linda Calhoun said.
Now, a criminal complaint identifies Jacob Castillo, a member of the Water Dogs Motorcycle Club, as the main shooter. Prosecutors are charging him with first-degree murder in the altercation at the Annual Red River Motorcycle Rally. Three people died, and five were injured.
New Mexico State Police Chief Tim Johnson said, “All eight individuals have been identified as outlaw motorcycle gang members.”
In the court document, it says an altercation happened between the Water Dogs and the Bandidos Motorcycle Club. Castillo stated in the report, a group of Bandidos jumped him. and one member pointed a gun at him.
“Well, it's clear from the affidavit that when they talked to Castillo and he gave his statement, he is trying to establish that he did not act first,” KOAT Legal Expert John Day said.
Castillo claimed self-defense in the court document, but NMSP says the evidence shows otherwise.
“The way state police put their case together, they don't see a valid self-defense claim because they say they looked at video, talked to eyewitnesses,” Day said.
A decades-old tradition is now ending after the tragic turn of events. If Castillo wants to claim self-defense in this deadly incident, Day says it's up to his defense team now to prove it.
“It'll be up to his defense team to present that argument to a jury if and when the case goes to trial,” Day said.
Castillo had his first court appearance Friday afternoon. A Judge ruled that he will stay behind bars until his detention hearing, which is expected to take place on June 13.
